Lilly 10 month stats

I finally took Lilly to the Dr for her 9 month check up... at 10 months old. I have always been the mom who takes her kids for their well checks the week they turn a certain age. However, with the move and needing to have medical records sent from Illinois to our new Dr. in Montgomery, we are now a month behind. Oh well. The Dr. wasn't concerned at all.

10 month stats:
Weight: 18 lbs 10 oz (40%)
Height: 28 in (65%)
Head Circ.: 17.5 (65%)

She had to have her finger pricked and also got the flu vaccine and the last of her Hep B. She cried, but not for long.  It didn't help that we were there during her nap time. :(

I am so thankful for a healthy little baby girl!

Lilly is 10 months!

This was the most fun monthly "photo shoot" I have had with Lilly because she was all giggles and squeals! She is so much fun to be around and she continually keeps us on our toes. The girl is on the move and into everything!

Lilly at 10 months:

- pulls up on everything

- cruises on furniture and even pushes her walker around the house

- has two teeth

- sticks her tongue out all of the time- especially when she smiles

- she loves dogs- especially our neighbors' two little Corgis , Penny and Finnegan

- Lilly loves bath time and crawls to the tub several times a day as if begging me to put her in.

- loves to watch her big sisters and Kinsley can really get her laughing

- wears 9 month clothes

- size 4 diapers

- in the last 2 weeks I have noticed some separation anxiety

- waves "hi" and "bye"

- loves to eat table food and gets upset if I try to spoon feed her the baby food. 

- very content and happy most of the time. 

- still does not consistently sleep through the night

- nurses 3-4 times a day 

- rarely gets a bottle... like, maybe only once a month!

- went to the beach at 9.5 months old in the middle of November and it was COLD! but she still loved it!

- celebrated her first Thanksgiving two days before turning 10 months old!

Lilly- you are a true joy! We love you more than words can express!

Lilly 8 months old

Lilly turned 8 months old a week after we moved from Illinois to Alabama. I did take her pictures on the day she turned 8 months- but I am just posting this and she is almost 10 months. UGH! 

She loves her big sisters! 

She is on the MOVE

She enjoys her jumperoo for a short time

She is just absolutely beautiful!

 Just prior to turning 8 months she got to meet her friend, Sophie Muchnick!

She went to Miami just after turning 8 months and she also got to see and meet so many FL family members along the way!

- Back in Montgomery!-

- She does the belly crawl
- nurses 3-4 times a day
- wears 6-9 month clothing
- wears size 3 diapers

Lilly- 9 months!

This little pumpkin is 9 months old! She is the happiest little baby and does all she can to keep up with her big sisters. Lilly is on the move and just in the last week she has learned so many new things.

9 month Stats:
(I still haven't taken her to the dr. for her 9 month check up and she is almost 10 months!)
weight:
height:
head circ.:


Lilly at 9 months:
- she won't sit still!

- can wave
- pulls herself up to her feet

- is almost crawling on all 4's, but does the army crawl like a champ!
- can get into a sitting position on her own
- her first tooth came in on the bottom two days before she turned 9 months.
- is starting to eat table food and still eats her baby food 3x/day

- nurses 3-4 times a day
- wears 9 month clothes
- size 4 diapers
 
We love you, Lilly Ann!!!

Lilly 7 months

Our sweet little Lilly turned 7 months old two weeks ago. For some reason, the 7 month mark really got to me. I literally cannot believe that it has been seven months. I'm having a hard time putting my feelings into words.... Lilly brings us all so much joy. Her sisters love her and Chris and I can't get enough of her.

Lilly at 7 months:

- The week before she turned 7 months she finally began to sit on her own without support. 

- she is eating baby foods and does not like peas or peaches. 

- still nurses 4-5 times a day and rarely takes a bottle... it's just easier for me to feed her than to worry about bottles. 

- has the cutest little laugh

- her hair is growing longer and we have to put it in a ponytail daily.

- her hair is also getting lighter - she may be a blonde like her sisters! (one day)

- she rolls all over the place
- pays more attention to Bailey these days, too.

- Lilly is very content and laid back

- takes two naps a day

- she loves bath time... especially when it's with her sisters!  

- this girl loves her big sisters and gets the biggest smile on her face when she sees them.

- wears 6 month clothing and size 3 diapers

Lilly 6 months

I start every blog off the same way..... "Where has the time gone!?" It's so hard to believe that Lilly is 6 months already! I can't believe that 6 months ago the ground was covered in snow and we were blessed to live in a place that can accommodate such snowy conditions so well. Had we lived in the South on January 29, 2014, we would not have been able to make it to the hospital to have Lilly. We would have ended up in a much smaller and less baby birthing friendly hospital due to the ICE that Florida was experiencing. God sure had our move to Chicago all planned out and we were able to go to the hospital without any stress that morning of January 29th to have our sweet baby Lilly.

Six Month Stats:
Weight: 15lbs 7.5oz (42%)
Height: 26 in. (52%)
Head Circ.: 16.5 in. (48%)

Lilly at 6 months:

- sitting with very little support, but not all on her own yet. 

- found her feet and has started to play and "eat" them

- rolls front to back and back to front. 

- enjoys being outside

- loves when her sisters talk to her 

- has the sweetest smile

- her hair is long enough that it no longer stands straight up.... it makes her look like a completely different child! I put it in a ponytail more often than not, now. 

- Lilly is such a happy baby and rarely cries. If she does cry it's because she is hungry or tired

- Over the last month she has really had a hard time when we put her in her crib for naps or night time... she will cry for a while before she finally falls asleep.

- takes one morning nap that lasts anywhere from 1-2 hours and an afternoon nap for 1-2 hours. She should really take a catnap in the early evening hours, but any time I try to give her a nap she screams... so she just has a really long wake time before bed. 

- sleeps 11-12 hours every night

- is curious about everything.... 

- sleeps on her tummy most of the time

- still likes her paci

- likes bath time

- wears size 3 diapers and 6 month clothes

- exclusively breast fed 4-5 times a day... which means we are on a 3-4 hour schedule. 

- She would rather stand than practice sitting.... Every time I try to work on sitting with her she arches her back to stand. She still needs support standing, though.

KINSLEY IS TWO!!!!!!

Kinsley's 2 year Stats: 

weight: 25lbs 2.5oz (48%)

height: 34.25 in (53%)

head circ.: 18.5 in (48%)

How is it even possible that our sweet little Kinsley Rae is two years old already? She is truly a delight to be around. Her personality is oh so cute and she makes us smile and laugh daily. Kinsley often times dances to the beat of her own drum.... okay, ALL the time! She will follow Avery around and do every little thing Avery does, but she also has a mind of her own and when she gets something on her mind, by golly she will follow through with whatever that might be. Kinsley is clumsy and will for sure be the child that puts us in the ER for the first time. Every day she falls and busts something.... I seriously can't believe she still has all of her teeth still. Not only is she clumsy, but she is daring. So far, she has been my earliest climber and she isn't afraid of anything.... except characters in costumes. (Chuckie Cheese, Santa Clause, and I'm sure Mickey Mouse would even frighten her if we made it down to Disney). She's my little dare devil and keeps me on my toes.

Kinsley is also the most kind, caring, loving and compassionate two year old I have ever known. If you cry, she will be right by your side rubbing your arm or giving you a hug. She LOVES to cuddle and loves to be held..... since she was out of the womb this has been her personality! I love watching her gentle spirit. You should see her with babies! She is hands on - all the time- and loves to hold them, kiss them and hug them. She doesn't understand that people have this thing called a "bubble" and she will bust up into your bubble - or any child's bubble- at any time. Some kids don't mind it, but it freaks most children her age.

Her hair is blonde! Like, really blonde. More so than Avery's hair. It's hard to believe she was born with such a head full of dark hair. It's also wavy.... on top it can be pretty curly, but in the back is straight. She has party hair, for sure. Her "bangs" are finally growing longer and are just past her eyes- which means she can't see most of the time or I have to put her hair up, which is always a fight!

She is wearing 24 month clothing and size 4 diapers. She is obsessed with her paci's. I have tried to break her of the habit and we were really good about her only having them in her bed. Then we traveled for two weeks and she got hooked again and I will find her sneaking the paci's out of her bed. She is beginning to use more words and will pair two, sometimes three, words together at a time. She is usually extremely clinging and fussy when she wakes up in the mornings and from naps.

She is a mess.... all of the time. Meal time is messy, craft time is messy, life is messy.... but that's who she is and I love it. My OCDness about cleanliness gets the best of me and my attitude toward her messiness, but I am really trying to LET IT GO!

Kinsley was a flower girl in her Aunt Amanda's wedding just a few weeks before she turned two. I had to carry her down the aisle, but she still did great and didn't cry like I expected her to do.

Kinsley Rae, we love you more than words can express. You brighten our days and you show us how to love each day. Thank you for your loving, silly and sometimes defiant ways. Happy birthday, sweet baby girl!

July 4, 2014

This year we got to celebrate July 4th Chicago style. Which really means, we weren't at the beach in Destin this year, but we still had a wonderful time! Chris' parents, Ed and Cheryl, flew up on the evening of July 2 and spend 5 nights with us. Thursday was just a day to hang out and let the girls enjoy time with their grandparents while Chris was at work.

Thankfully, Chris was off this year on July 4th (his boss so graciously covered the hospital so that Chris didn't have to!) and we got to enjoy the day as a family. That morning our neighborhood had a parade. We loaded the girls into their red wagon and walked to the main street in our subdivision to enjoy the parade.

The girls had a blast catching the candy and waving to all of the parade participants.... especially our neighbors, Lucy, Henry and Charlie!

After the parade we decided to head into downtown Naperville for "Ribfest" and had a blast. We listened to live bands, ate yummy pulled pork and ribs, and Avery and Kinsley even got to enjoy some carnival rides for the first time. They got a little panicked on some of the rides- even Kinsley, which surprised me since she is always so fearless! It was HOT HOT HOT and my back may have gotten FRIED, but we still had fun. The highlight for Avery was getting to ride the yellow school bus to and from our car to the event.

 We made it home for a late nap for the girls then grilled out for dinner. Chris planned and cooked our entire menu and it was delicious. Steak, baked potatoes, a summer salad with corn, avocado, tomatoes, red onion and a cilantro dressing, and cauliflower sticks. Avery called his bluff on the cauliflower sticks almost immediately.... "Daddy, this is not bread" but we eventually got her to eat one. :) That night we went to an open field and watched the fireworks. It was a long, exhausting, and yet really fun day. I love nothing more than spending the day with my husband and our girls and getting to see the excitement on their faces when they experience something new for the first time.

On Saturday the 5th, Ed and Cheryl babysat while Chris and I went to a friends house for a shrimp boil. We then went to Downers Grove to an Irish pub called Balydoyles for a late dinner. It was so fun getting to spend adult time with our friends for a day. Too bad I didn't take any pictures to document that we actually did this! ha!

Sunday was another great day that started with church and then lunch in downtown Naperville. During the girls' nap, Chris and I went for a long walk through the McDowell forest preserves just up the street from our house. I enjoyed just being able to walk and talk with him without any distractions. Sunday night included Giordianos stuffed pizza (of course!) and later, a rented movie with Chris' parents.

We had such a wonderful holiday weekend and are so thankful that we have family that can so easily come up for a visit. Our time with Ed and Cheryl is always so nice and always too short... as it is with all our family and friends.

I hope your holiday weekend was wonderful, too!